Rules on Forgiveness

["Click here for Luke's account"]

These verses were taught to warn them of the inescapable fact that they would be offended from time to time and to show them the necessity of forgiving those who offended them when they asked for forgiveness.

Notice offending people is a sin that we are urged to avoid. But it would seem that this will occur, either out of thoughtless conversation made in haste or premeditated expression made in anger. If we offend someone, we must ask their forgiveness, for woe unto those who do not. Notice that criminals in those days had heavy stones tied to them and then they were cast into the sea. Jesus says their judgment was less than the judgment of someone who offends and does not ask for forgiveness. The criminal perishes quickly but the offender will carry the guilt on his conscience the rest of his life.

Notice the three examples that Jesus gives:

1. Woe to those who offend a little child either by word or by deed. Do nothing that will discourage a little child from following Christ.
2. Woe to false teachers who offend the saints, who corrupt the truths of the Gospel and trouble the minds of the believers.
3. Woe to those who profess Christianity and live sinful lives, there by offending the Church and it's name and saddening the hearts of many people.

Then there is the other side of the lesson, and that deals with forgiveness. If we are offended, we must forgive the offender if he asks for forgiveness. Even if he offends us seven times a day, each time he asks for forgiveness, we must forgive him. Some latitude is allowed here, vent your resentment in love, tell the offender of your hurt, that he has not been fair with you. Then you are commanded, upon his repentance, to forgive him. Christians should be of a forgiving spirit.

Then the Disciples hearing this teaching asked the Lord to increase their faith. What they were thinking was the same thing that we are thinking, "Lord, what you are asking will be very hard to do." "We will need a lot of faith to do that." Our first reaction to being offended is to strike back, but that is the reaction of a "babe in Christ". As we grow in Grace, Grace increases. The Disciples believed that they would be very important men in the Masters Kingdom, yet the more they learned of what was expected of them, the more they realized they were unfit. So they asked the Lord to increase their faith which would increase their understanding.

Then Christ told them of the wonderful sufficiency of their faith. "All you need", Jesus "is the faith of a grain of mustard seed, but yours, as of now, is less than that." "Later you will do wonders far beyond what you now do." As with God, all things are possible, so are all things possible for him who believes.

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